Christmas in Turkey

Fly to Istanbul and transfer to your hotel in the heart of the city.

Explore Istanbul's landmark sites. Visit the remains of the once mighty Hippodrome, marvel at the multiple domes and six minarets of the Blue Mosque, then venture inside majestic Hagia Sophia, the crowning achievement of the Byzantine Empire. Next visit the extraordinary Basilica Cistern, a 10,000 square meter underground water store in the heart of the ancient city, whose vaulted ceilings are supported by a forest of 9-metre high columns plundered from all over the Byzantine empire. Finally, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world.

This morning discover the exquisite beauty of Topkapi Palace. Then stroll through the Spice Bazaar and visit Rustem Pasa Mosque, whose tiles are among the finest in Turkey. After lunch, visit the UNESCO-listed Fener and Balat districts. Walk through the colourful, labyrinth-like streets of these historical neighbourhoods. Then, enjoy a private cruise along the Bosporus Strait, the waterway that divides Europe and Asia, to witness the city's minaret-studded skyline and its most famous sites from the water, including the dramatic Rumeli Fortress, Dolmabahce Palace and the sultan's former summer residence - Beylerbeyi Palace.

Pay your respects to the fallen soldiers of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign at the Cape Helles Memorial. A defining moment in the history of Australia and New Zealand, the tragic events that unfolded in Anzac Cove, Shrapnel Valley and Lone Pine marked the birth of the Anzac spirit of courage, loyalty and friendship that continues today.

Visit the ruins of Troy and learn about its fabled history, then continue to the Greco-Roman city of Pergamon, known for its Acropolis and its unusually steep theatre. Today’s lunch will be a home-cooked Turkish meal, to be enjoyed with local families. This afternoon continue to your hotel in Selcuk.

Spend the morning exploring one of the ancient world’s most famous cities. Remarkably well preserved, Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its roads, pavements, facades and enormous theatre paint a vivid picture of what everyday life in the ancient city might have been like.

Transfer to Izmir for your flight eastwards to the other-worldly region of Cappadocia, where over millennia the soft tufa rock has been eroded into fantastical shapes, a magical sight at any time of year but especially in winter if coated in snow. Arrive at your hotel and then enjoy a Christmas Eve with a difference, at the beautifully restored Seljuk-built caravanserai of Saruhan. Here witness the mesmeric and mysterious ritual dance of the Whirling Dervishes, before continuing to dinner at a local restaurant.

Happy Christmas! For those that wish today could begin pre-dawn with an unforgettable hot-air balloon flight (optional and at your own expense) over Cappadocia's extraordinary landscapes of volcanic cones and wind-eroded cliffs. Later spend a memorable Christmas morning among the wonderfully preserved rock-hewn churches of Goreme, a UNESCO-protected site and home to one of the very earliest Christian communities in the world. Continue to the amazing rock formations of Pasabag Valley, take in the magnificent views of Cappadocia from Uchisar citadel, and in Avanos watch potters create masterpieces from local clay from the Halys River. Finally, celebrate Christmas with a special dinner at an atmospheric local restaurant.

Boxing Day begins with a visit to the Greek-built village of Mustafapasa, then continue for a walk through the beautiful Soganli Valley, home to early Christian churches dating from the 9th to 13th centuries. Lunch today will be in a traditional Cappadocia village home, decorated with textiles and local flatweave carpets. Your hosts will prepare and serve a variety of traditional dishes in their family home, a unique experience. Then continue to Kaymakli Underground City, a multi-layered subterranean settlement that provided refuge for early Christian communities.

Say goodbye to Cappadocia and fly back to Istanbul, with some free time to enjoy one of the world’s greatest cities. Your farewell dinner is planned for the bustling and historical district of Kumkapi, on the Sea of Marmara, where fishermen have lived and worked for centuries. Enjoy your meze starters with fish or seafood main courses, often with traditional live music and belly-dance performances going on around you.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.